St. John: Part Two

St. John, 2014

I have finally caught my breath (sort of) and can report that we had a lovely, long trip to the Virgin Islands. I was of course itching to record each and every day but our WiFi was inconsistent so we had to appreciate things in real time, the old fashioned way.

There is something so cute about Axel at the beach...he gets all wet and sandy and mischievous and wild and then dreamy and exhausted with damp tangled hair. Oscar was a brave soul as well, all around.

The first two days of the week away, we were a bit discombobulated as we figured out how to navigate with all four of us in one hotel room (note to self: next time, rent a house!) But as soon as we got out of our four little walls and set off to explore the island we had a brilliant time.

Nearly every day we found a new beach...Honeymoon, Hawksnest, Solomon, and Caneel Bay were all gorgeous. Most of St. John is a national park, so the beaches are raw and pretty pristine, linked by a series of shaded trails. When we were looking for a little bit of fanciness, we headed to Caneel Bay resort for lunch and frozen rum drinks. That place is pretty spectacular, with the ruins of an old sugar mill on its grounds and wild deer and donkeys roaming the property.

Traveling with two little ones can be a challenge, I don't want to gloss that part over. There are moments of extreme stress that punctuate the loveliness, when you think, "What the heck are we doing?" Not to mention the trail of lost things we seem to leave in our wake (Axel's shoes and swimming trunks were lost to the vortex, somehow...) You definitely have to temper your expectations and remember that the stack of glossy magazines you brought are not going to get read anytime soon. We are learning lessons as we go. Like stay somewhere with a washing machine! Also, a stroller flipped upside down makes a good beach bassinet.

But it it worth it in the end? Of course: we are gluttons for punishment and pina coladas. And I think St. John would be a marvelous place to return to when our littles are just a little bit more self-sufficient. Sadly, the place we stayed on our babymoon, Maho Bay, is no longer. But it's sister property, Concordia, seems like a very cool place for a family adventure someday.

We were fortunate to have a sitter intermittently while we were there (Leslie McKibben from Kids' Night In, who was fantastic!) And once the wedding festivities kicked off, there was a horde of baby-loving Brazilians eager to hold Oscar...

It was really one of the prettiest, most glamorously laid back weddings I've been to, and it's very amusing to run into your dearest friends in a tropical paradise.